Europees Parlement zal zich tegen Grondwet keren als bevoegdheden worden uitgekleed (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Parliament, rattled by recent attempts to curb its crucial power in the EU Constitution, has issued a series of threats.

During a debate in the Parliament on Wednesday (3 December), several prominent MEPs said that they will do all they can to see that a Constitution which reduces the assembly's power be rejected.

Their anger follows calls by the UK and Ireland particularly, as well as the Netherlands and France, at a meeting to discuss the Constitution over the weekend that the European Parliament loses its control over the EU budget - something which it has had since the 1970s.

"The European Parliament cannot vote in favour of a Constitution if that power has been put into question", said German Christian Democrat MEP and representative in the intergovernmental talks on the Constitution, Elmar Brok.

Leader of the socialists, Enrique Baron Crespo said "We have powers ... we will defend them to the end".

Daniel Cohn Bendit, leader of the Greens, said that if a bad deal was reached by EU governments on the text, "the most European of us will fight against the Constitution".

He went on to threaten: "We're in a position to pull the referendum towards a no".

Similarly Andrew Duff, Liberal MEP and influential member of the Convention that drew up the Constitution said that Parliament's consent cannot be taken for granted.